The invention relates to a corotron for electrographic processes, particularly in a printer or copier. Such a corotron serves the purpose of electrically charging a carrier material for a latent image, particularly of a photoconductor band. The invention also relates to an arrangement for a corotron, a corotron device, into which a corotron wire can be introduced with the assistance of a retainer element, as well as to a retainer element for the acceptance of a corotron wire.
The demands made of the technical performance of printing and copying methods make it necessary to precisely adjust the individual elements of the printer and copier device. In order, for example, to effectively design the electrical charging of carrier material with a charging corotron, the distance between the corotron wire and the carrier material should be small. Slight deviations in the parallelism of the plane of the carrier material and the longitudinal axis of the corotron wire cause a non-uniform charging of the carrier material, which leads to a non-uniform formation of the print image. Influencing factors for the uniform charging of the carrier material include the deviation from the parallelism and the overall spacing between corotron wire and carrier material. When reducing the distance between corotron wire and carrier material, the deviation has an increasingly unbeneficial effect on the quality of the print image.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,449,906 and 4,258,258 disclose arrangements that contain a corotron wire unit for an electrographic printer or copier device. The corotron wire is provided with end pieces, whereby the corotron wire is arranged in an insert that contains a reflector element and an electrical terminal post. As a result of this arrangement, there is the possibility of easily replacing the corotron wire together with the insert. Given a slight spacing between corotron wire and carrier material, however, it is absolutely necessary that the corotron wire together with the insert be newly aligned relative to the carrier material after the replacement in order to exactly set the parallel alignment of the longitudinal axis of the corotron wire relative to the plane of the carrier material. This activity requires qualified service personnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,906 discloses an arrangement with which it is possible to insert corotron wires into a corotron arrangement. The corotron wire is secured to a retainer element with resilient clamps. Together with the retainer element, the corotron wires are introduced into the corotron arrangement wherein resilient clamps are likewise provided. Upon introduction, the corotron wire is partly embraced by the clamps of the retainer element and by the clamps of the corotron arrangement. The clamps of the corotron arrangement exert a greater force on the corotron wire than the clamps of the retainer element, so that the clamps of the retainer element detach from the corotron wire when the retainer element is removed from the corotron arrangement. The corotron wire remains in the corotron arrangement and the introduction event has been ended. A removal of the corotron wire from the corotron arrangement is not possible with this retainer element. The removal of the corotron wire is only possible by means of mechanical influence on the corotron wire and/or on the fastening elements thereof. The corotron wire can break in this procedure. Precisely given glass-clad corotron wires, this represents a considerable injury risk for the person implementing the action.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,895 discloses a frame for the electrostatic charging of a carrier material wherein corotron wires are seated in blocks. The blocks are arranged within an arm movable over the carrier material. The arm is moved along over the carrier material along the right edge and left edge of the frame. A voltage supply unit for supplying the corotron wires is provided on the movable arm.
The English abstract of JP-A-01-179 960 discloses a frame for holding a corotron wire that is vertically introducible into an image generating device. The feed of the supply voltage of the corotron wire from a power supply unit to the frame ensues with the assistance of plug-type connectors.
An object of the invention is to specify a simple structure for a corotron wherein the corotron wire proceeds parallel to the carrier material with high precision.
In the invention, a corotron wire of a corotron device, such as in a printer or a copier, is introduced with the assistance a retainer element. The retainer element is detached from the corotron wire after insertion of the corotron wire. The retainer element is removed from the corotron device. At least one end of the corotron wire is arrested in the corotron device. After the insertion of the corotron wire, the retainer element reconnects with the corotron wire. The arrest of the corotron wire and the corotron device is released. The corotron wire with the retainer element is removed from the corotron device.
In a corotron for electrographic processes such as in a printer or a copier, at least one corotron wire is held by a retainer element and a carrier material is conducted past for a latent image residing their opposite. A guide element with which the carrier material is guided is provided. The carrier material and corotron wire lie in planes arranged substantially parallel to one another. The retainer element lies on bearings at at least two bearing points, the bearings being rigidly connected to the guide element and being pressed onto the bearings with a spring power.